Liver in Water Margin, outlaw madman

As night deepened, the woods along the official road surrounding Wangjia Village were quiet, with only the rustling of leaves in the wind.

Lu Zhishen carried his water-milled monk's staff, radiating excitement. He swung the staff back and forth in his hand, occasionally slamming it to the ground, sending dust flying.

"Third brother, let's not wait here aimlessly, let's go and block the gates of Yuncheng!" he said in a loud, somewhat impatient voice.

As he spoke, he raised his hand and patted his armor, making a crisp clanging sound. His tone was both bold and smug: "With me here, I guarantee those government soldiers won't come back alive, they won't even be able to leave the city gates!"

Zhang Shan leaned against the tree trunk, looking at him like this, and couldn't help but laugh out loud.

He secretly grumbled to himself, "The Lu Zhishen in the original story was indeed forthright, but he wasn't this flamboyant. Could it be that this new armor is the cause of all this?"

After laughing, Zhang Shan composed himself and solemnly reminded him, "Brother, while armor can protect you, it's not foolproof. If you're targeted and surrounded by government troops, they can still break through your armor and injure you."

Lu Zhishen shook his enormous head, his face full of disapproval.

He's learned his lesson now; he knows helmets are cumbersome, so he only wears armor normally and saves the helmet for battle. His bald head gleamed in the moonlight.

"Third brother, you don't understand! With my martial arts skills and this armor, I dare to charge single-handedly against not only the soldiers of Yuncheng, but even the soldiers of the Liao Dynasty!"

Seeing this, Zhang Shan smiled and deliberately asked, "Brother, what if you get hungry?"

"Huh?" Lu Zhishen was stunned for a moment, his smugness instantly froze, he scratched his bald head, and his eyes were somewhat evasive.

He was fearless, daring to brave mountains of knives and seas of fire, but he was afraid of going hungry.

In the past, whenever he was hungry, he could only use up five-tenths of his abilities at most.

If he gets too hungry, his whole body will feel weak and he won't be able to use any of his skills; this is his biggest weakness.

Seeing that he was speechless, Zhang Shan smiled and asked in return, "Besides, you were in the army back then, so you should know how the Western Xia and Liao dynasties usually dealt with heavily armored infantry, right?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Zhishen frowned, scratched the back of his head, and his tone lost its previous arrogance: "Damn it, those bastards from Xixia have Iron Falcons, and both men and horses are heavily armored. When they charge, they use nooses, which are specifically designed to break through our heavily armored infantry. They can entangle them one by one."

"Anything else?" Zhang Shan asked, still smiling.

He knew in his heart that there was never anything absolutely invincible in this world. If heavy armor were truly invincible, the Song Dynasty would not have been bullied by foreign enemies and fallen to its current state.

Lu Zhishen's momentum gradually weakened, his shoulders slumped slightly, and his voice lowered: "The other side also has heavily armored soldiers. Both sides are carrying heavy weapons, heavy axes and iron maces are smashing into people. Many people are directly knocked unconscious. Even armor cannot withstand that force."

"Anything else?" Zhang Shan asked unhurriedly.

Lu Zhishen's imposing manner completely vanished, his face losing its former boldness, and his tone carrying a hint of helplessness: "The enemy also uses catapults to hurle the stones. Even with armor protecting them, the stones can cause broken bones and injuries, and quite a few people are killed or injured by the impact."

Seeing his expression, Zhang Shan knew that his reminder had worked, so he stopped asking questions and prepared to stop.

But to everyone's surprise, Lu Zhishen suddenly raised his head, his eyes lit up, and his tone became bold again: "Third brother, you're wrong! This isn't a battlefield. The soldiers from Yuncheng on the other side have no armor, no heavy cavalry, and no catapults. What are we afraid of!"

Zhang Shan was speechless for a moment, standing there, not knowing what to say.

He finally understood that his older brother, though seemingly reckless, was actually very shrewd.

Before Zhang Shan could speak, Lu Zhishen softened his tone, patted him on the shoulder, and said sincerely, "However, Third Brother, you are right. I know you are genuinely concerned for me and afraid that something might happen to me."

After speaking, he looked around and, seeing that his brothers were resting some distance away, leaned close to Zhang Shan's ear and whispered:

"Actually, heavy armor is also easy to target. A few fishing nets, plus a few fearless people, can wrap themselves around a person and trap them."

He spoke cautiously, afraid of being overheard and exposing his weaknesses.

But as soon as he finished speaking, he straightened his back and loudly added, "But I'm not afraid! A few fishing nets are nothing; I can break them with a single blow of my staff. I am incredibly strong; these little tricks are no match for me!"

Zhang Shan rubbed his forehead, sighed helplessly, and completely lost his temper.

He had said everything, both the positive and negative, so even if I had a lot to say, I couldn't get a word in edgewise.

He composed himself, softened his tone, and said in a low voice, "Brother, let's try our best not to provoke the government now, and avoid them if possible. After a year or two, when Liangshan has established itself and has enough strength, it won't be too late to deal with the government then."

Lu Zhishen shook his enormous head and grinned, "Hey, Third Brother is right. I'm just indulging in some boasting. This armor really pleases me, and I can't help but want to show off my skills."

The two chatted casually, from martial arts to food, and then from food to the future of the mountain stronghold. Before they knew it, it was past midnight.

However, the troops from Yuncheng County were still nowhere to be found.

Lu Zhishen frowned, muttering impatiently, "What if these bastards aren't coming? We grandpas have to wait here all night, keeping me up at night!"

He leaned against a thick tree, closed his eyes, and waved his hand: "Third brother, you should get some sleep too. These lousy soldiers are like wolves and tigers when they encounter civilians, but when they encounter people like us, they run faster than rabbits!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Shan smiled knowingly: How much do you get paid a month for working so hard!

He instructed his men to leave a few capable men to take turns keeping watch at night, while the rest rested fully clothed, with their weapons at hand, ready to fight at any time.

As dawn broke, Zhang Shan stood up, stretched, looked around, and then called out to He Cheng, "He Cheng, come here!"

He Cheng immediately ran out from the crowd, his posture upright and his face showing a hint of competence: "Brother, did you call me?"

"Take two men and quietly go to Yuncheng County to find out if the government troops have set off yet and when they will arrive," Zhang Shan instructed in a low voice.

He secretly regretted his foolishness, having waited here in vain and forgotten to send someone to gather intelligence. He vowed to make sure to work on intelligence gathering once he returned to the stronghold.

If you can't keep up with the intelligence, you're like a blind person, and you'll suffer a great loss sooner or later.

He Cheng nodded quickly, his tone firm: "Don't worry, brother, I'll go right away and find out everything!"

After saying that, he led his two brothers and tiptoed towards Yuncheng County.

They were locals with no criminal record, and dressed as ordinary fishermen, they wouldn't arouse suspicion even if they encountered government officials, making them perfect for gathering intelligence.

Not long after, Wang Lun led a few people carrying boxes to deliver breakfast to everyone.

"Chief, brothers, you've worked hard. Quickly eat some dry rations to fill your stomachs," Wang Lun said as he handed over the rations.

Zhang Shan took the dry rations, took a bite, and casually asked, "When will all the food from the mountain be transported away?"

Wang Lun quickly replied, "Reporting to the chieftain, the Ruan brothers mobilized many fishermen to help, and progress is rapid. At most, it will be completed in half a day and safely delivered to the mountain stronghold's granary."

Zhang Shan nodded slightly, having already made up his mind: "Alright, then let's wait another half day. If the soldiers still don't come, we'll retreat. We can't stay here any longer."

Time passed slowly, the sun in the east gradually rose higher, its warmth dispelling the chill of the morning. The sun grew increasingly intense, making people feel hot all over.

Everyone was getting a little bored while waiting.

Just then, a series of hurried footsteps came from afar. He Cheng ran over, covered in sweat and panting, his clothes soaked with sweat.

"Chief! They're here! They're here!" he shouted urgently as he ran. "I saw Wang Er on the way to deliver the message. He's followed by dozens of soldiers, and they're heading this way!"

"Good! Well done!" Lu Zhishen jumped up from the ground, his eyes wide with excitement, instantly energized. He grabbed his staff and shouted, "Brothers, get up! Grab your weapons and prepare for battle!"

Zhang Shan also perked up, gripping his spear tightly, and didn't even bother to greet anyone who came near.

Won't people say that the local gangs are rude in the future?